The Northeast and Midwest regions of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers are pleased to announce a joint regional meeting, Northeast by Midwest 2017, to be held at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, March 16-18, 2017. The meeting will run from Thursday evening through midday on Saturday.

The theme for NExM2017 is "Unifying, Collaborating, and Building STEM Success."

Plans for the meeting, which promises to be an informative and worthwhile event, are in progress. If you would like to receive advance notifications as soon as details are available, please send an email to jpauses@pitt.edu with the following information:

Name,

Email address,

Organization/affiliation/college or university,

Education level/degree,

Field of technical interest or specialization

As specific details are finalized they will also be posted on the NOBCChE website here.

National Science Foundation
The NSF Division of Chemistry is seeking new program rotators. At this time, we are particularly interested in individuals with broad knowledge and demonstrated experience in inorganic and organic synthesis; catalysis (especially surface catalysis and/or heterogeneous catalysis); and nanochemistry with experience in surface analysis and reactivity. A starting date of fall 2017 is of interest, through earlier starts may be possible.

Applications by the end of November are encouraged, but later applications may be considered as well (until the positions are filled). Nominations are also welcomed.

The Washington PostThe next big march on Washington could flood the Mall with scientists.
It's an idea spawned on Reddit, where several scientists — concerned about the new president's policies on climate change and other issues, and hyped from the success of the Women's March on Washington — were discussing the best way to respond to what they feared would be an administration hostile to science.READ MORE

TechCrunchAmazon recently unveiled a new subscription program aimed at parents called STEM Club, which delivers educational toys to your home for $19.99 per month. The retailer says it will hand-pick which toys are shipped, and will ensure the items are age-appropriate. And by "STEM," of course, Amazon means the toys will be focused on the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
READ MORE

ScienceMaybe your experiments for your Ph.D. project haven't panned out this week — or this month, or even this year. Maybe you feel like you're spending long hours in the lab but not making an important contribution. Perhaps the frustration you see among postdocs trying to figure out their next career steps is making you question the degree's ultimate value. Or maybe seeing your nonstudent friends bring in salaries far above your stipend and move up in the corporate world has you wondering whether pursuing a Ph.D. is holding you back.
READ MORE

The New York TimesMaria Sibylla Merian, like many European women of the 17th century, stayed busy managing a household and rearing children. But on top of that, Merian, a German-born woman who lived in the Netherlands, also managed a successful career as an artist, botanist, naturalist and entomologist.
"She was a scientist on the level with a lot of people we spend a lot of time talking about," said Kay Etheridge, a biologist at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania who has been studying the scientific history of Merian’s work. "She didn't do as much to change biology as Darwin, but she was significant."READ MORE

By Catherine Iste One of the most common complaints I heard from employees while working in HR was regarding compensation. Everyone wants a raise, regardless of whether they make $25,000 or $250,000. And the two most common reasons were: they felt they deserved more or they needed (or wanted) more to pay for something. Last week, we discussed needing more money and how to find it without a raise. This week, we will look at deserving more money and how to get it.
READ MORE

Fast CompanyWhen you're unemployed, the sinking feeling that it'll be impossible to find another job isn't just in the pit of your stomach — or your head. In many cases, you really are dealing with discrimination from employers. Northeastern University researchers found that someone who's been unemployed for six months or longer is much less likely to land an interview than someone who's been between jobs for only a short time, even if they lack the right skills.
READ MORE

Wake Forest UniversityUniversities across the U.S. have developed programs to attract women and under-represented minorities to the STEM disciplines. So why aren't such efforts translating into more of these students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math and continuing on to a career in research or academia?
READ MORE

U.S. News & World ReportIf you're job searching, you probably (hopefully!) know the basic professionalism mistakes to avoid, like using a questionable moniker in your email address, having a silly outgoing voicemail message or flooding social media with photos of yourself doing keg stands. But here are some less obvious ways that you can inadvertently come across as unprofessional in your job search.
READ MORE